Drew and Susan Goss spent 15 years catching early flights from Chicago to New Orleans on Sunday mornings. They would settle into their 500-square-foot French Quarter condo, hit the restaurant scene, then fly back home in time to open their bistro, West Town Tavern, located in the hectic central part of Chicago, just in time for Tuesday dinner service.
“We had so many friends in the Chicago restaurant business who went back and forth to New Orleans, so we started doing it, too,” said Susan Goss, a classically trained chef who ran the kitchen while her husband managed the front of the house.
Ceramic works by Drew Goss serve as functional art in the couple’s dining room.
Together they authored “West Town Tavern: Contemporary Comfort Food” (2010, Chicago’s Books Press). “It was fun, but when we were done, we were done. We knew where we would retire. We always knew. We first came to New Orleans with Drew’s parents right after we were married in 1980. We fell in love with the vibe.”
In 2013, they sold their business and their home, loaded up their Smart car, and assumed permanent residence in their French Quarter condo.
A need for space
But, alas, permanence in a 500-square-foot space soon grew thin, and an Arabi storage unit crammed with 6,000 pounds of art, furniture and memories was sounding a siren’s song.
The kitchen is located at the front of the home and overlooks the street. The shelving in front of the window displays a collection of ceramic and serve ware.
It was time to find roomier digs. In 2015, they bought a circa 1835 three bay Greek Revival cottage in Faubourg Marigny.
“It needed work, but there was room for a garden, and I really wanted a garden,” said Susan Goss, a Master Gardener and Master Naturalist. A one-year renovation ensued, gutting the kitchen, located at the front of the house, and affording a view of the street.
In 2016, they settled into their home, Chateau Calico, a cheery, buttercup-yellow abode that welcomes cats, and started packing the closets with costumes for all occasions to embrace local customs.
The totems are by Louisiana sculptor John Geldersma. Ceramic works by Drew Goss surround the doorway
Susan Goss turned in her toque for a trowel.
“We did extensive renovations to the front, side, and back gardens,” she said. “The artist James Vella, a glassblower, was a previous owner. He left fragments of blown glass buried in the ground and under the house. I was an archaeology student. Today, planting a bush is akin to an archaeological dig.
“I am always coming across an angel with a broken wing, a jester’s head, crabs and fish, all sorts of treasures that go with our wild, weird, colorful lives. De la debris, joie de vivre! It’s an ongoing process, one I love.”
Labors of love
The Native Plant Society recently presented her with an award for her riotous garden of native plants. Her greenhouse is stocked with over 50 orchids, and she is an active member of the local chapter of the Orchid Society. She frequently volunteers at City Park for the Native Plant Initiative,
The feminist painting above the couple’s bed is by Susan Goss’ sister, Cynthia Lowe of Indianapolis.
A pond filled with koi, goldfish, and native plants at the rear of the garden adds a gentle sound to the serene landscape. They dubbed a small deck under a large magnolia tree “The Meditation Deck” for its secluded feeling.
“It took four years for me to learn to breathe again,” Drew Goss said of their move from Chicago. “We were in the restaurant business for 30 years. The restaurant business will eat you alive.”
He seized an opportunity to revisit some of the activities and hobbies he had pursued before starting his career. He resumed working with ceramics, a practice he enjoyed in college. He sells his vibrant works to friends and by appointment at their home.
Goss New Orleans, Friday, June 27, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Strout) The garden in the back is an oasis with a small green house for Susan Goss to grow her orchids. ORG XMIT: Goss
“But it’s just a labor of love rather than anything I want to monetize,” he said.
He’s also a harmonica player, and frequently sits in with bands on Frenchmen Street.
A focus on art and food
Together, the couple are enthusiastic patrons of the city’s art, music and festival scenes.
Despite its historic provenance, the couple’s home is adorned with an enviable collection of contemporary art and midcentury modern furnishings from a who’s who of architects and designers.
The breakfast table is vintage Eero Saarinen.
”Drew’s parents were enthusiasts of modern and Mid-Century American art,” Susan Goss said. “When they passed, their collection went to their children. A large part ended up in New Orleans.
“My sister is a naïve artist, and her vivid paintings, along with our collection of local art, make the house bright and colorful. Drew’s ceramic artwork is informed by the bright colors he grew up with.”
But much of their lives still center around food.
“We love going out to eat, but we both love to cook and find we are amazingly comfortable staying home and sharing food with friends. I’ll take any opportunity to make a meal,” he said. “We also love our Marigny neighborhood.
“Sometimes I wish we had a dog, because if you have a dog, you meet your neighbors more readily. I love the real sense of community in the Marigny. We have like-minded neighbors and just enjoy a real sense of safety and belonging.”
